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I'm not sure if I let the hype get the better of me, but whilst I found Guardians of the Galaxy really great fun, I sort of left the cinema feeling a little underwhelmed. I wanted more...substance, depth, something. I'm not asking for it to be serious, but it very much felt like it was gaining momentum to take it onto the next set-piece. I felt a little bit of the same with Iron Man 3, but as Stark is already a well built-up character, there felt like there was a little more room to play with. Here, the characters were well done, the dialogue was good and the action and set-pieces are on the whole great, but I never really got the sense of anything bigger.

As a sci-fantasy story, it was pretty cool and it's neat to see the cinematic universe start to come together and I'll definitely be happy to see the sequel when it comes out, but even though, say, The Avengers was half an action sequence, there just felt like there was a little more to it. It's really hard to say. I don't think it's a case of GotG checking all the boxes because the whole thing is too weird to fill out boxes, but maybe I felt like there should've been a bit more effort in place, at least in making it nowhere near as predictable as quite a lot of it was. That said, the final action sequence, as a whole, was fantastic, so maybe I'm just being too critical.

I saw an article a few days ago about how Marvel are very good at releasing polished films that are critically positive and well enjoyed, but that they lack a substance to them that gives them a bit more weight and consideration. Whilst I don't think that influenced my thoughts going into the film, upon its ending I very much found it difficult to not think back to that and maybe it being correct.

Also, screw the post-credits sequence. It wasn't funny like the Iron Man 3 one and it didn't have the intrigue of the Cap 2 or Thor 2 ones. It was actually entirely stupid, which is surprising given how (knowingly) silly the rest of the film was.

Yep one of the weaker parts of that movie was the plot, entirely predictable. I thought the characters were entertaining enough and it wasn't taken itself at all seriously so it didn't matter to much. I will probably forget the movie within a week though but thats all Marvel movies.

And go watch Avengers again people...it really is to much of an action scene...

Her - This film had everything really, thoughtful science fiction tinged with interesting commentary on ourselves as humans in a technological age. A really realistic relationship beautifully told, that just happens to be between a guy and his operating system. I found it utterly charming, funny, sweet, sad, and really beautiful. You can argue that its a bit Manic Pixie Dream girlish with the guy getting a girl and him getting better, but it also portrays that the AI gets better as well and evolves into a different person which makes them not be able to be together. Its very much like a real relationship then sometimes even if your relationship is still together you can relate to how people can change and evolve and you can feel that relationship has made you a better person. I also feel after this film that I just want to call anyone I love and tell them that I love them.

It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it, more so as it went on. It started off very confusingly, but I was prepared for it. Probably going to watch the dollars trilogy soon, because I've been on a bit of an Ennio Morricone binge - I only watched once upon a time in the west because I was listening to man with a harmonica on loop.

Went to see Guardians of the Galaxy! I liked it a lot, but why don't marvel actually put the bad guys in their films? They show up for a couple of really brief scenes and that's it. They do it all the time, too.

I never really liked Once upon a time in the west. It might just have been because it was Charles Bronson.. I couldn't really take him seriously.
The Dollars Trilogy, on the other hand, I loved. Particularly the first and the 3rd. Maybe they are just a little more simple and focused.

After you're done with that, go watch Once Upon a Time in America. I love that movie. It has an awesome Ennio Morricone score as well.

Went to see Guardians of the Galaxy! I liked it a lot, but why don't marvel actually put the bad guys in their films? They show up for a couple of really brief scenes and that's it. They do it all the time, too.

Loki gets better treatment in that department, but he's kind of the exception that proves the rule at this point. But there is basically a formula for Marvel movies that involves a rubbish villain, a powerful space/magic MacGuffin and the last 30 minutes devolving into a giant explosion-ridden set piece. It seems to be working for them though.

I suppose Thanos might be an improvement since they've sort of seeded his presence in the universe, perhaps they'll spend some time developing the character.

Yep one of the weaker parts of that movie was the plot, entirely predictable. I thought the characters were entertaining enough and it wasn't taken itself at all seriously so it didn't matter to much. I will probably forget the movie within a week though but thats all Marvel movies.

And go watch Avengers again people...it really is to much of an action scene...

How do you figure? There's a bunch of movies that lead into that one movie which establish the characters and the universe.

It's like the sixth issue of a 7 part limited series of comics, were the first five have built up the story of what's going on and the sixth gets to be the pay off, with the seventh being the aftermath of it.

I really liked Guardians. Everything but the post credits because it did nothing to continue the story or build up hype for the next one. They showed Howard the Duck in the Collectors room when the Guardians arrive there, Howard even looks at the cast. They should have just left it at that.

Marvel villains (Loki aside because he's a special case) are always the same. It's a shame because they get some really great people in to do them and then do nothing with them.

Last edited by Jesus_Phish; 07-08-2014 at 11:46 AM.

"Halo is designed to make the player think "I look like that, I am macho sitting in my undies with my xbox""

One thing Marvel films get is the colour palate of superheroes. It's bright and primary colours, with fairly stark and clear baddies etc. All very Jack Kirby, bif pow energy.

Christopher Nolan got Batman in a similar way. But I think lots of the DC output sort of misses that and uses film trappings, hence all the new superman and wonderwoman pictures looking all washed out and dull.

The problem is, I guess, that most people (me included) don't really know many of the weird and wonderful villains from the comic book universe. We know Luthor and Joker and Penguin doctor Octopus, we might even know Dr Doom or Darkseid or Magneto, but we don't know Ultron or Thanos(?) or The Winter Soldier, or The Mandarin, etc...
We do know Hulk, Thor, Captain America, etc.. though.

So I guess it makes sense to focus on the characters we know, at least for the first round. FWIW, I thought the bad guys in Iron Man 3 were good. I don't think any of the bad guys have been bad, just not the focus. It's hard to make good (and original) bad guys without losing the focus on the hero (see Batman).

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I just watched Paprika. Some parts were deeply disturbing, but overall I found it pretty enjoyable. The cinematography is excellent. The narrative is less complex and incoherent than people give it credit for, and more strange. I also know I missed a bunch of cultural cues / allusions, but that's pretty par for the course with watching something from another culture, particularly a non-western one.

Death At A Funeral just ended, it had me in stitches the entire time. It's definitely one that I'm going to have to get the DVD of because I'm not waiting until it's broadcast again before it gets a second viewing.

Death At A Funeral just ended, it had me in stitches the entire time. It's definitely one that I'm going to have to get the DVD of because I'm not waiting until it's broadcast again before it gets a second viewing.

I do hope you're talking about the British version. If so, you have my full support. Otherwise, you have bad taste.

They got David Spade for Ultron so i'm expecting some amazingly evil shit in Avengers 2.

James Spader. James Spader. James Spader.

David Spade was the skinny white guy who did movies with Chris Farley. James Spader was the liberal soapbox on Boston Legal. One belongs in Adam Sandler movies, and one can actually act. Ultron has the one that can act.

Also, Paul Bettany (voice of JARVIS) as Vision.

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